A Novel Approach to the Development of Natural Resin-Based Biopolymer in the Presence of a Reusable Catalyst: Characterization and Modeling of Material Properties

Abstract

The rise in environmental and health concerns has led to increasing attention to nature-derived materials. Natural resin (NR) is secreted by pine trees, and it is a great monomer source for synthesizing biopolymers. The objective of this study is to produce terpene rosin phenolic resin (TRPR) from NR, turpentine, and phenol by applying a novel polymerization technique. An environmentally friendly and reusable catalyst (Amberlyst15) was chosen instead of traditional ones. TRPR samples were chemically characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis. The average molecular weight (Mw) of TRPR was detected as 560 g/mol. Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling was designed with three inputs (pressure, temperature, and terpene/NR ratio) and four outputs (reaction yield, acid value, saponification value, and softening point). The highest TRPR yield was obtained with a terpene/NR ratio of (1/2) at 80°C and under 3 atm. The lowest acid and saponification values were calculated as 90.54 and 100.11 mg KOH/g, respectively. The softening point of TRPR reached 80°C and it was suggested for use in the paper, ink, and adhesive industries.